Kite



C. H. SCHILD Jan. 10, 1956 KITE Filed July 27, 1953 CHARLES H. SCH/L0 IN VEN 70? mm RJNN 55m M. H T E R R 50 NW B w H KITE' Charles H. Schild, Fresno, Calif.

Application July 27, 1953, Serial No. 370,345

7 Claims. (Cl. 244-153) This invention relates to improvements in plane surface kites and in particular, pertains to a means for improving the stability of such kites.

The conventional plane surface. kite consists ofa rigid paper covered frame lying in a single plane and isflown from a long line or kite string attached to a bridle on the frame. Lift for the kite is created by wind pressures acting upwardly against the flat surface of the paper covering which is held at an angle to the wind by the kite string and bridle arrangement and a tail connected to the kite. The tail normally serves to impart stability to the. kite and, by its weight and wind resistance, to control. the angle of incidence of the kite relative to the wind in which thekite is. air borne. As a substitute for such a tail, it is also known to provide a fixed predetermined transverse warp to the. kite for stability purposes. Because the support surfaces of such kites present fixed areas to the windv at all times, sudden variations in the direction of air currents or changes in wind pressures cause the kites to dart or sink and to perform uncontrollable gyrations in the air. The

it is therefore, an object of this invention to improve" the stability of plane surface kites.

Another object is to provide a plane surface kite whose effective lifting area varies with .changes in wind pressure.

Another object is to provide a plane surface. kitenormally located substantially in a single plane of referencebut having wing surfaces which flex. to form adihedral angle therebetween when subjected to wind pressure in excess of a predetermined actuating minimum.

It is a further object of this invention to provide: a frame which is suited to the' construction of a planesurface kite in accordance with the above objects.

These and other objects of this invention will become more clearly apparent on reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a kite ready for flight which is constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of. the kite-bufshowing the reverse sidefrom that seen in Fig. 1. t

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a partial detail view showing several construction features of the spine and cross bow of the kite suitable to the practice of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is an end view illustrating the action of the kite while in flight.

Referring now in particular to the drawing, the kite nited Sttes atent" O 2,730,318 Patented Jan. 10,. 1956 frame consists" of an elongated vertical spine member 10 having notched ends, as shown at 12. For descriptive conveniencethe spine member is referred to. as having upper and lower end'portions clearly distinguishable by reference to Figs. 1 and 2. In adjacent spaced relation to the upper end of the spine 10 is. mounted a generally C-shaped member 14 having a back portion thereof which constitutes a pivot pin 16 extending longitudinally of spine 10 and substantially parallel therewith. The legs of the C-shaped member 14 extend through spine 10 and are secured rigidly in place by clinching, as seen in Fig. 3.

Extending transversely, across the spine 10 are a pair of horizontal cross bows or bars 18 and 20. These bows are of equal length but are longer than half the width of the kite, as will be evident by reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Each of the bows, for example 20, has an inner and an outer portion 22 and 24, respectively, as shown in Fig. 5. Both of the bows are journaled intermediate their outer and inner portions on the pin 16 with bow 20 edgewardly overlying how 18. Thus the cross bows are mounted so as to pivot around the spine 10 on pin 16.

The tip of the outer end portion 24 of each bow is provided with a notch, as designated at 26 and these notches, in cooperation with notches 12, facilitate positioning and retention of a cord 28 which extends around the outer periphery of the frame. A covering 30 of paper or other suitable material is secured to cord 28 by folding the edges thereof around the cord and applying adhesive to the overlaid portions of the fold for holding it firmly in place, as indicated at 32. The covering 30 should be slightly loose on the frame,..rather than excessively taut, so that it can be flexed around the spine when bows 18 and 20 are pivoted, as explained herein. Disposed centrally in the covering is an opening or slot 34. This slot is located adjacent to the area of. intersection of the cross bows 18 and 20 and spine 10 and is. for the purpose of receiving the inner end portions 22 of the cross bows.

As best seen in Fig. 2, the spine 10 is positioned on one side of the covering .30 while the cross bows 18 and 20 extend through opening 34 and thus are disposed on both sides of the covering. More particularly the outer portion of each cross bar isonthe same side of covering, 30 as the spine 10 while the: inner portionv of each bow lies on the opposite side of the. covering. This construction permits the bows,,.and therefore the covering, to flex freely within predetermined limits without interference of the bows with the covering. 7

Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, it will be seen that a resilient member, such as a rubber band36, is connected by staples 37 between. the inner portion of each of the cross bows 18 and20 and an intermediate position on the outer portion of their respectively opposite bow. The bands 36 are of suificient strength normally to maintain the cross bows in substantially a single planar relationship with a slight angle of dihedral therebetween. The spacing of the pin 16 from the spine is such that pivotal movement of the bows is limited by spine engagement.

The kite isbridled by means of a yoke string 38 connected to the extreme. opposite ends. of the spine 16 and a kite string, 40is. connected to the yoke at a point substantially horizontally in line with the cross bows. It is important-that the bridle. and kite string be attached to the front side of. the frame, that is, on. the side of the coveringopposite to. that onwhich. the spine is located. This is to insure that the cross bows will angle rearwardly when the surface of the kite is subjected to wind pressures. Inasmuch as the kite is supported on the wings, it will be apparent that seldom if ever is there a tendency for the bows to pivot to a position of negative dihedral. If this occurs it is momentary and promptly corrected by tension on the line 40.

It will be evident that the covering 30 forms a pair of symmetrical wings 42 and 44, generally triangular in shape which are flexible or pivotal rearwardly around spine 10 as a longitudinal axis. By means of the overlying cross bows journaled on the spine and interconnected by the rubber bands, these wings can be pivoted toward one another to create a resilient or variable dihedral angle between the surfaces thereof. The rubber bands are of suflicient strength normally to hold the wings 42 and 44 of the kite in a substantially common plane so that during initial lofting of the kite, a maximum lift can be obtained. However, when the kite is air borne and being held by the kite string, the wings angle rearwardly a variable amount depending upon increasing and decreasing wind pressures, represented by vectors 46 in Fig. 6, against the urging of the rubber hands. This decreases or increases the effective lifting area of the kite with variations in wind pressure. The rubber bands 36, or other resilient means for resisting bar pivoting, are preferably of equal resiliency so as to have equal effect on the wing surfaces on their respectively opposite sides of the kite and thus automatically correspondingly react to variations in air pressure on their wing surfaces to achieve balanced lift and desired stability.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A kite comprising a frame having an elongated spinal member, a pivot pin secured adjacent to an end of the spinal member, a pivot pin secured adjacent to an end of the spinal member, and a pair of overlying bow arms journaled on said pin and extending outwardly on opposite lateral sides thereof; a covering on said frame forming pivotal wings on each side of said spinal member; means on said arms for yieldably resisting pivotal movement of said wings; and bridle means attached to said spinal member.

2. In a plane surface kite having an automatically adjustable dihedral angle; a frame; a covering for said frame having a central opening therein; said frame including an elongated spine, a pair of how arms extending transversely across said spine and through said opening, each of said arms having an inner and an outer portion, and means for pivoting each of said arms to said spine intermediate said portions; resilient means connected between the inner portions of each of said arms and the outer portion of the opposite arm; and bridle means secured to said spine.

3. In a plane surface kite having a flexible dihedral angle, a frame comprising a spine and a pair of bows disposed across said spine, each of said bows having an inner and an outer portion and being pivoted to said spine intremediate said portions, a cord connected to the ends of said spine and said outer portions of the bows peripherally of the frame, a covering for said kite secured to said cord and having a central opening therein, said spine being positioned on one side of said covering, each of said bows extending through said opening so that the outer portions are positioned on said one side of the covering and the inner portions thereof are positioned on the other side of said covering, resilient means connected between the inner portions of each of said bows and the outer portion of the opposite bow, and bridle means connected to the opposite ends of said spine on said other side of the covering.

4. In a plane surface kite having a flexible dihedral angle, a frame comprising a spine having a longitudinally extending pivot pins mounted thereon, a pair of horizontal bows extending across said spine, each of said bows having an inner and an outer portion and being journaled on said pivot pin intermediate said portions, a cord connected to the outer ends of said spine and bows peripherally of the frame, a covering secured to said cord having a central opening therein, said covering forming flexible wings around said spineas an axis, said spine being positioned on one side of said covering, each of said bows extending through said opening and having its outer portion positioned on said one side of said covering and its inner portion on the opposite side thereof, resilient means con nected between the inner portions of each of said bows and the outer portion of the opposite bow, and bridle means connected to the opposite ends of said spine and extending outwardly from said frame on said opposite side of the covering when under pull of a kite line.

5. In a plane surface kite having an automatically adjustable dihedral angle; a frame including an elongated spine, a pair of bow arms extending transversely across the spine, each of the arms having an inner and an outer portion, the arms intersecting intermediate the inner and outer portions thereof so that the inner portion of each arm lies adjacent to the outer portion of the other arm; a covering for the frame; resilient means connected between the inner portions of each of the bows and the outer portion of the opposite bow; and bridle means secured to the spine.

6. In a plane surface kite having an automatically adjustable dihedral angle, a frame including an elongated spine, a pair of how arms extending transversely across the spine, each of the arms having an inner and an outer portion, means mounting the arms on the spine intermediate said portions, said mounting means limiting movement of the arms longitudinally of the spine but permitting rotational movement relative thereto; a covering for the frame; resilient means connected between the inner portions of each of the arms and the outer portion of the opposite arm; and bridle means secured to thc spine.

7. In a plane surface kite having an automatically adjustable dihedral angle; a frame; a covering for the frame having a central opening therein, said frame including an elongated spine, a pair of how arms extending transversely across the spine and through said opening, each of said arms having an inner and an outer portion, means mounting the arms on the spine intermediate said portions limiting movement of the arms longitudinally of the spine but permitting rotational movement relative thereto; resilient means connected between the inner portions of each of the arms and the outer portion of the opposite arm; and bridle means secured to the spine. 

